Rhonie Dela Cruz

RHONIE C. DELA CRUZ, an historian, is the Chairman of the Bamban Historical Society (an active organization in the preservation and promotion of history and heritage in Bamban, Tarlac) with particular interest in the military history and the Aetas. He is also the curator and owner the Bamban WWII Museum, the institution has been recognized as an important WWII educational site and a center for public history.

He is a recognized Historian by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), being a lecturer and guest speaker on national and international conferences on WWII History from 2017 to 2020. His research journals in WWII were published by the NHCP on its Journal of the Philippine Local History and Heritage. He is also a prominent speaker on various historical events with subjects mostly on WWII History and Museum.

Mr. Dela Cruz advocacy, passion and interest in WWII is in fact based on his family lineage, as he is a descendant of WWII veterans. Further, he had also written on the history of the Aetas on the Mag-Antsi and Aberling Tribes of Bamban and Capas, Tarlac; the former formed part of the Claim Book of the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) Application.

As an historian, he is the key person in the pursuit of finding remains of the war dead left in the battlefields of the Bamban through the Operation Fireflies, and in exploring and opening of Japanese war tunnels with the Project Discovery War Tunnels. At present, he is also engaged in the production of various historical documentaries related to Bamban-Clark area in the social media, as You Tube vlogger, through the Investigating History Series.

SERGEANT EVERETT R. BROOKS: AN AMERICAN WWII GUERRILLA LEADER IN TARLAC

Memorial Day 2025WWII HEROES PROJECT 2025SERGEANT EVERETT R. BROOKS: AN AMERICAN WWII GUERRILLA LEADER IN TARLAC Bamban WWII Museum Heroes HallMay 26, 2025 is an American federal holiday, the Memorial Day, honoring military personnel who died in combat serving in the armed forces. As an American ally in WWII, at Bamban WWII Museum, we deemed …

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GERERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR’s HEADQUARTERS IN TARLAC

Investigating History:GERERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR’s HEADQUARTERS IN TARLAC The MacArthurs, both father (Arthur) and son (Douglas) had reminiscence in history in the Tarlac Province. The father, leading the 2nd Division, 8th Army Corps, fought the Filipino Army of Liberation at the Bamban Line near the present Bamban Museum. The son, General of the Army, was with …

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JAPANESE WWII TYPE 99 7.7mm RIFLE AS AETA NEGRITO HUNTING RIFLE

JAPANESE WWII TYPE 99 7.7mm RIFLE AS AETA NEGRITO HUNTING RIFLE During WWII, the Aeta Mag-Antsi of Bamban Hills participated in the resistance against the Japanese by organizing guerrilla warriors outfit, the Squadron 30, Bruce Guerrilla operating in the Bamban Mountains as mountain patrol. They were using their indigenous weapons; the bow and arrow and …

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THE CAVALRY SQUADRON, PHILIPPINE ARMY:A BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH

INVESTIGATING HISTORY THROUGH PHOTOGRAPH:THE CAVALRY SQUADRON, PHILIPPINE ARMY:A BRIEF HISTORICAL SKETCH Little is known about the cavalry of the Philippine Army, its early organizational unit that had fought during the Philippine-American War until prior the outbreak of WWII. Although, there were many Filipinos who joined the 26th Cavalry Philippine Scouts and stationed at nearby Fort …

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PROJECT DISCOVERY WWII TUNNELS 2025: KOUZAN-YAMA 甲山にある日本海軍の大東亜戦争のトンネル。

From Naval Air Force to Mountain Soldiers: The 763 Naval Air Group海軍航空隊の兵士: 第763海軍航空隊Under the heat of the sun, some men braved the hot weather condition and hiked the mountain overlooking the Sacobia River in search for the Japanese WWI tunnels. With the help of our Aeta Mag Antsi mountain scouts, we were able to locate …

PROJECT DISCOVERY WWII TUNNELS 2025: KOUZAN-YAMA 甲山にある日本海軍の大東亜戦争のトンネル。 Read More »

PVT TOMAS MANABAT, MISSING-IN-ACTION: REMEMBERING A BATAAN DEFENDER FROM BAMBAN, TARLAC

WWII Heroes Project 2025:83rd ANNIVERSARY AND COMMEMORATION OF THE DAY OF VALOR (ARAW NG KAGITINGAN)PVT TOMAS MANABAT, MISSING-IN-ACTION: REMEMBERING A BATAAN DEFENDER FROM BAMBAN, TARLAC The month of April is an important historical event in the history of our Nation and in WWII, for the gallant Filipino and American soldiers extreme sacrifices shared, the hardships …

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APRIL 9: ARAW NG KAGITINGAN (DAY OF VALOR) – TRIBUTE TO THE FILIPINO SOLDIERS IN THE DEFENSE OF THE PHILIPPINES 1941-1942 BATAAN AND CORREGIDOR

Today, we commemorate the sacrifices and ultimate price paid by our Filipino soldiers along with their American counterparts who fought in the Defense of Luzon, Battle of Bataan and the Bataan Death March. No amount of gratitude can be paid to these Heroes, who endured the most in the bloody battles of Luzon, Bataan and …

APRIL 9: ARAW NG KAGITINGAN (DAY OF VALOR) – TRIBUTE TO THE FILIPINO SOLDIERS IN THE DEFENSE OF THE PHILIPPINES 1941-1942 BATAAN AND CORREGIDOR Read More »

RECOVERED RELIC OF JAPANESE WWII TYPE 98 KYUHACHI-SHIKI IMPERIAL ARMY OFFICER’s KATANA SWORD – バンバンで日本軍の98式将校用刀が発見される。

INVESTIGATING HISTORY:RECOVERED RELIC OF JAPANESE WWII TYPE 98 KYUHACHI-SHIKI IMPERIAL ARMY OFFICER’s KATANA SWORD – バンバンで日本軍の98式将校用刀が発見される。 The western sector of the Bamban poblacion anchored the Central Force of the Takayama Detachment, where 3,600 seasoned Japanese mobile infantry forces from the 2nd Mobile Infantry Regiment, along with the troops from the 137th Airfield Battalion (reinforced), 25th …

RECOVERED RELIC OF JAPANESE WWII TYPE 98 KYUHACHI-SHIKI IMPERIAL ARMY OFFICER’s KATANA SWORD – バンバンで日本軍の98式将校用刀が発見される。 Read More »

ARCHEOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT: GOVERNOR SUSAN YAP’s VISIT TO THE ON-GOING FIELD STUDY OF THE JAPANESE NAVAL HQ TUNNEL- トンネル内にある旧日本海軍司令部司令部。

Investigating History: The Former Japanese Naval HQ of Bamban Hills ARCHEOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT: GOVERNOR SUSAN YAP’s VISIT TO THE ON-GOING FIELD STUDY – トンネル内にある旧日本海軍司令部司令部。 WITH MOJI CHIKANORIIn 2001, while working in Japan, I used the opportunity to look for former military personnel who fought or deployed in Bamban during the war. In a twist of …

ARCHEOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT: GOVERNOR SUSAN YAP’s VISIT TO THE ON-GOING FIELD STUDY OF THE JAPANESE NAVAL HQ TUNNEL- トンネル内にある旧日本海軍司令部司令部。 Read More »

TARLAQUENO USAFFE GUERRILLAS AT STA. IGNACIA, TARLAC; MID-JANUARY 1945

80th ANNIVERSARY OF LIBERATION, 1945 – 2025 TARLAQUENO USAFFE GUERRILLAS AT STA. IGNACIA, TARLAC; MID-JANUARY 1945 One of the earliest photographs taken by American liberating forces in January 1945 before they entered the capital town of Tarlac, Tarlac. The image shows the Filipino guerrillas present arms, as the first American soldiers, most probably from the …

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